One Season Down. The Journey Is Just Beginning.
About ten months ago, VD Athlete officially began its first full basketball season.
At the time, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. I simply knew I wanted to build a platform that consistently gave athletes more visibility while creating content they could be proud to share.
Looking back today, I’m grateful for every gym, every event, every conversation, and every lesson along the way.
This season gave me the opportunity to cover some of the biggest stages in grassroots and high school basketball. From On the Radar Hoops showcases and the Hoops Giving Showcase, to an entire Georgia high school varsity season, the GHSA State Playoffs at Georgia State University, the GHSA State Championships in Macon, and finally one of basketball’s premier events, Nike EYBL Peach Jam in North Augusta, South Carolina.
Every stop helped me become a better photographer, writer, designer, and media professional. More importantly, every event introduced me to incredible people.
One of my favorite parts of this journey has been finally meeting athletes in person after first connecting through social media. It’s funny how someone you’ve talked with online for months suddenly walks over, shakes your hand, and introduces themselves like you’ve known each other for years.
Throughout this season, I had the privilege of connecting with athletes like Tre Keith, Colben Landrew, Harris Reynolds, Kevin Savage III, Deuce Grayson, BJ Love, Zaire Colbert, Cadien Hudson, Manny Green, Jarvis Hayes, Myles Hayes, MJ Curry, Jason Welborn, Jalen Wingfield, Asa Montgomery, the players and staff at Jet Academy, and so many others who supported what VD Athlete is building.
To every athlete who trusted me with your content, shared my work, reposted an article, or simply took a moment to say hello at an event, thank you. Your support has never gone unnoticed.
I’d also like to thank the parents who reached out throughout the season. Whether it was a message of encouragement, introducing yourselves at tournaments, or simply saying you appreciated the work, those conversations reminded me that what I’m building is making an impact.
Something else that stood out to me this year was the character of so many of the young men I met. Talent is easy to recognize, but character stands out even more. I met a lot of respectful athletes who carried themselves the right way, showed humility, treated people with kindness, and represented their families well. You can often tell when someone comes from a strong foundation, and I saw that over and over again this season.
I’d also like to thank the media outlets that welcomed me into this community. Ballers Bridge, NGS, Atlanta Sports Reels, and Playbook all showed support throughout the year, and I appreciate the relationships we’ve started building. Even though I wasn’t able to attend an NGS showcase this season, that’s definitely on my schedule for next year.
The only major events I wasn’t able to cover this year were the adidas 3SSB circuit and the Under Armour circuit. I’ll be there next season. That’s a promise.
As VD Athlete continues to grow, so does the vision.
This first year was about building relationships, earning trust, learning the landscape, improving my craft, and establishing a foundation. Next season is about taking everything to another level with more coverage, more original content, deeper features, and continuing to create opportunities for athletes to gain the visibility they deserve.
To every athlete, parent, coach, media member, and supporter who believed in VD Athlete during this first season, thank you.
The foundation has been built.
Now it’s time to build something even bigger.
See you back in the gym this fall.
Marc Wilkins
Founder, VD Athlete
